The White Wolf
by viper-sindel
Summary: When a strange wolf drags her sorry carcass into Nome, the characters don't meet up as well as one would imagine. She's gruff, rude, and anti-social. Let's not mention that she killed a bear. Needless to say, things are off to a rocky start for young Serena. Will her secrets be revealed, or will she be doomed to live a life of hate and distrust?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY OC'S.

It was the middle of the day, just after the mail had arrived in Nome, Alaska. The weather was cold, but not super chilly, considering that spring was here. Suddenly, a gasp of shock and horror came from the edge of town, followed by several exclamations and other like sounds. People quickly backed away as the more experienced men ran into their homes to grab thier shotguns. A lone, pure white wolf made it's way through the center of town. Blood formed pools around it's feet wherever it stepped, seeping from deep, deep wounds.

"Poor wolf," came a twelve-year-old voice as the town's favorite, Rosie, quickly moved towards the wolf, catching it as it slumped to the ground. A low whine of unspoken pain was all it could muster as it looked up at her with one eye. "Easy, easy... We'll take care of you..."

The wolf seemed to understand, gave another whine, then it's head slumped, it's eyes closing as it faded into darkness.

"Rosie, get away from that thing!" cried her father. She looked at him.

"Dad, it's hurt," she said. "This wolf means no harm. It wouldn't have come so far into civillization if it meant any harm. It took a huge risk coming here, but it still came."

She paused and looked straight at the vet, who held his rifle steady against his chest, pointed at the wolf in her arms.

"It came for help," she said, her eyes boring into his. After a few moments, he sighed and put the gun down. He handed it to his assistant, then walked catiously over and kneeled in the snow, next to Rosie. As carefully as possible, he observed the wolf, taking in all of its injuries.

"Can you heal it?" Rosie asked. The vet gave a heavy sigh.

"Not if it's free to run," he answered. "Rosie, are you certain you want to help this wolf? This isn't Balto. This isn't a tame wolf."

"If you don't help me, I'll take care of it myself, with or without anyone else's help," she said stubbornly. The vet sighed again, then slowly, carefully, picked the wolf up in his arms.

"Then come with me to the clinic," he said. "I'll see what I can do for it."

Rosie immediately nodded and got up, following him swiftly.

LATER

After three hours of painstaking surgery and wrappings, the white wolf lay on the un-occupied side of Rosie's bed. Jenna and Balto were cuddling nearby, watching the wolf carefully. It still hadn't woken from its faint.

"Rosie?" came her mother's voice, as she walked into the room. Rosie smiled at her mom. "How's it doing?"

"She," Rosie corrected. Her mom stopped short, looking at her daughter.

"What?" she asked.

"The wolf's female," Rosie answered. "The doctor said she'd be okay, but she had to take it really, really easy as to not antagonize the wounds and reopen them."

"Have you thought of a name for her?" her mom asked, sitting down near the wolf, reaching over and lightly feeling the wolf's temperature and fur.

"Serena," Rosie answered. "Her name is Serena."

Her mom gave a soft smile.

"Let me know when she wakes?" she asked. Rosie nodded and laid down. Her mom gave her a soft kiss and tucked her in. "Sleep well, Rosie."

"You too, Mom," Rosie answered, then rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

THE NEXT DAY

"Dr. Antos?" Rosie said over the phone. The vet on the other end gave in to his surprise.

"What can I do for you, Rosie?" he asked.

"It's Serena, the wolf," she answered. "She's awake, but she won't eat the dog food we give her, wet nor dry."

With a soft sigh, the vet gave a smile.

"Rosie, Serena isn't tame," he reminded her. "She won't be used to such food and will more than likely refuse to eat it. She'll only eat game meat, people food. She's a hunter, first and foremost, and fresh meat is their best choice, but I'm certain she'll at least try cooked food. Try hamburger or steak. Even bird or fish meat may interest your new pet. Try a variety of things until you find something she'll eat."

"Ok," Rosie said. "Thank you."

"Keep me posted on her progress," he said, then hung up. Rosie put the phone down, then went to the kitchen where her mother was making lunch. It was breaded fish filets. Serena had followed her. The wolf had been by her side all morning, watching... and learning. Balto and Jenna had also refused to leave the house, watching Serena carefully, almost untrustingly.

Serena smelled the fish and walked over, sitting down next to the mom's feet. With a low whine, Serena got the mom's attention. With a small smile, the woman offered Serena some of the raw meat. Serena immediately turned her muzzle away, then pointed her nose up at the cooked meat. With another smile, the mother put the raw meat back on the counter, then grabbed one of the cooked pieces and placed it on a plate. She set it down in front of Serena. This, Serena gladly ate. She didn't devour it, but ate with almost human manners.

"Guess we now know what she eats," Rosie's Dad commented dryly.

"This suggests that she was once someone else's pet," her mom agreed. "Especially since she didn't want the raw food."

Rosie's face lit up like christmas came early.

"Then I can keep her?" she asked excitedly. Both parents exchanged looks, then smiled warmly and nodded. With a whoop and hugging them both, Rosie cheered. "Thank you!"


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY OWN OC'S.

I watched the girl, Rosie, thank her parents for allowing her to keep me. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of fish, not even a little, but I couldn't be picky. It was the first thing I'd eaten all day. I was guessing that this meant that I was getting normal food from here on out, not dog food. Neither Balto nor Jenna had made any attempt to talk to me so I reciprocated the action. I was content to keep to myself. After all, perhaps that was best.

"Still hungry?" Rosie asked, seeing that my plate was empty. I shook my head, another natural action for me, though I knew dogs weren't supposed to act so human. She just smiled and took the plate. "I can't let you outside yet, due to your injuries. Doc said it would agitate them. Sorry, but you're housebound for now."

I nodded again and simply laid down on the floor in front of the fire, making sure I wasn't in anyone's way.

* * *

Several weeks passed like this. Everyday, I would eat three meals of cooked food. It definately made the family happy when they discovered that I really like raw and cooked vegetables, too, and that I really wasn't much of a picky eater. I was taken to the vet at least once a week so he could check on me, though Rosie always made sure I was well wrapped in a blanket and carried by her dad every time. Today would be the first day I was allowed outside, allowed to roam free. My injuries had healed very nicely and very quickly. After the first week, Balto and Jenna had finally relaxed enough to leave me alone with Rosie. Rosie often spent hours brushing my fur, getting out knots and removing shedding fur. I was grateful. Now, though, was the real test of this town. How would everyone else react to me? I knew from previous experiences that the people accepted me, accepting the stories Rosie and family told about how I'd obviously been a pet before, which explained why I'd walked into town, went to humans for help.

Let them believe what they will. It mattered not to me as long as I knew the truth. They didn't need to know, though. It had to continue this way for now.

"Ready?" Rosie asked as we walked to the door. I nodded, something her family had gotten really used to. They'd also told everyone about how human I acted. Most chauked it up to how I was trained, meant to make me easier to understand and communicate with. Again, let them believe what they will. The truth was in the eyes of the beholder for now.

"Stay safe and have fun," she said, holding open the door for me. I nodded and stepped out into the chillier air. It was definately almost summer, the snow completely gone from the ground, green grass covering the ground. It was lovely. The door closed behind me and I glanced back. After a moment of hesitation, I began making my way through the town. People didn't scream or whisper at the sight of me this time. Several dogs made mental notes when I walked by, but said nothing. A few kids gave me soft pats here and there, some adults following suite. Others ignored me completely or just passed me casual looks.

"Nice to see you out and about, Serena," greeted Dr. Antos. I nodded. He smiled and walked past, going into his clinic. After some time, I caught sight of a large expanse, just outside of town. Several dogs were running around, playing out there. Balto watched them from up on a broken ship, two geese and two polar bears in the background. I made mental notes on that, then sat down on the edge of town, content to watch the dogs play. A few of them had coloring like Jenna, telling me they were related. I had no doubts that Balto was the father, though you really couldn't see it in them. All of them were well fed and well groomed. A part of me felt great envy towards them. They lived such simple lives, never thinking about more than their day to day tasks.

After a moment, I rose and turned, walking back into the town. I passed a few more dogs, then caught sight of two human men arguing, though not heatedly. It was more of a disagreeing discussion than anything. Wordlessly, I stepped over and sat down nearby to listen.

"I want to put Kodi in the lead harness," the musher said. The postman shook his head.

"He's never lead before," he objected.

"He's well trained," the musher pushed.

"You'll need a replacement dog for his current position," the postmaster pointed out. "And all the dogs in town are either pets or all ready on sled-team duty."

The musher looked helpless... so, I got up and walked over. Lightly, I butted my head against his leg. He looked down at me. So did the postmaster. I stepped over to his sled and lightly pushed around the harness. It was a one-dog training harness and sled. I looked back at him, wondering if he understood. He was smiling brightly.

"I may have found said dog," he stated, walking over. After a few moments and a few adjustments, he had the harness on me. The two mail dogs were watching without saying a word. Slowly, the musher pulled back and looked at me. Then he gently placed his hands on my head.

"G," he said, then moved my head to the right. "H."

He moved my head to the left. I nodded, understanding. He stepped back and smiled.

"G," he said. I turned to the right. He smiled. "H."

I turned left. He shot a triumphant look at the postmaster, then got on the back of the sled. I knew this was the real test.

"Once to the edge of the forest and back should be test and training enough for this one," he told the postmaster, who nodded in agreement. "She's smart."

Then he looked back at me.

"Mush," he commanded. Immediately, I put on full speed and raced out of town. I followed his instructions to a "t" knowing other dogs were watching, taking notes even more on me. I didn't care. I only listened to my musher. When we pulled back into town, back in front of the post office, Rosie was waiting.

"Mr. Simpson, may I have Serena back?" she asked. The musher smiled.

"Of course, Rosie," he answered, then came over and unfastened me from the harness. "Though, may I borrow her everyday for the mail run?"

I heard more dogs approach, one of them looking like Jenna, a male.

"Are you gonna make her lead dog?" Rosie asked. The musher smiled softly.

"Only if my other lead is sick or wounded," he answered. "I need a dog to replace Kodi in the line-up so that I can make him lead dog. May I borrow Serena? She's proven herself to be exceedingly intelligent and quick to adapt. She's also swift, almost faster than my entire team combined, though I have no doubt she can curb her speed to match and work with theirs."

I watched the exchange silently. I knew what Rosie would say, so I tugged at the harness with my teeth, then gave a low whine to her. Rosie's resolve crashed immediately and she smiled, a soft, defeated smile.

"This is what you want?" she asked me. I nodded. "All right. You'll have to get up really early to be here on time everyday."

I nodded again, all ready knowing that much.

"Great!" Mr. Simpson said. "I'll come by every morning to come get her. Thank you, Rosie."

Rosie smiled and nodded. Mr. Simpson patted my head, then took the sled and walked back to his home. Rosie turned to leave and I got up and followed her, not saying a word to the watching dogs. After a while, she stopped and patted me softly.

"There's still a lot of day ahead of you," she told me. "Enjoy it. I'll call when it's time to come home."

I nodded and she walked home. I waited until she was inside before turning around, only to stop in my tracks as I saw all the dogs from before. My eyes scanned over all of them, measuring them up just in case they attacked. I would need to use their strengths and weaknesses against them if I were to win a numbers game. Silence reigned as they just sat there, watching me, and I stood there, watching them. After a few moments, I laid my ears back flat against my head, then turned around and walked away. I had nothing to say to them, just as (it appeared) they had nothing to say to me. It had simply been an intimidation dance, I guess. Soon, I found myself on the edge of the forest. I turned around and sat down, facing the town I'd come to call home. Several dogs continued to play in the open, completely unaware of my watchful gaze. A few pups strayed near the forest, a sight that warmed my heart. So long had it been since I'd seen such bissful innocence.

SNAP!

My eyes flew to the edge of the forest as I saw the carefree pups stray closer. Quickly, I ran thier direction, catching sight of the predator that continued to draw near to them. I pushed my speed to it's max, catching the attention of the playing dogs, who immediately caught sight of what I had. They immediately began screaming for the pups to run and they looked at them, then heard the danger behind them. They immediately bolted for the adults, but the grizzly was bearing down on them, finally bursting from the forest. The humans finally caught sight of it and the men grabbed their guns, running towards it. My speed grew with each second, then one of the pups tripped, landing hard on his chin. He was completely disoriented!

Just before the grizzly reached the fallen pup, I lunged and latched onto it's throat. With a loud roar it reared and swiped me away. I immediately landed on my feet and charged again, making sure to keep it's focus on me. I saw the feverish look in it's eyes. This grizzly had rabies.

I had to be careful not to get bitten.

I continued to bite and tear at it's throat while avoiding it's massive paws, claws, and teeth. Finally, after a deep struggle, I latched onto it's neck one more time, gave it a hard wrench, and was rewarded by a resounding crack. The bear fell limp to the ground and I stepped back, licking the blood from my teeth, then turned and looked back at the people. The men were running forward to make sure the bear was dead. I stepped away and sat down, waiting patiently for them to finish looking him over, the vet making the final say.

"Poor beast," he said sadly. "Had rabies."

The men then looked at me.

"Did he bite you?" the vet asked. I shook my head. "Thank you, Serena. That was a very dangerous thing you did now, dangerous, but brave."

Each human gave me a good-natured pat for my work, though my eyes scanned for the fallen pup. He was safely in the group of dogs nearby. His eyes spoke volumes of his gratitude, though I knew now that I was not making any friends among the dogs, just in the way they were standing. They surrounded the pups, their stances defensive, ready to attack if necessary, all of their eyes on me. There was no place among such good-natured beings for something that took lives unflinchingly.

"Serena, I still have to give you a rabies shot, just in case," Dr. Antos said. I nodded and followed him back into town while the men disected the bear, getting out of it what meat they could. Then they set fire to the rest of the carcass. The smell hurt my nose, almost making me want to wretch. Still, I was lucky. I hadn't even gotten a scratch. I took advantage of the beast's feverish mind and inability to truly think. That had aided me in stopping it. Rosie met me at the edge of town, giving me a huge hug.

"You're a wonderful dog, Serena," she told me with a smile, then walked with Dr. Antos and I to the clinic for my shot.

AN HOUR LATER

After being thoroughly checked out, Dr. Antos released me back to the outdoors. Rosie went on home and I wandered the streets again. Soon, the pup I saved ran up to me and I paused, letting him lick my face gently.

"Thank you for saving me," he said. I smiled warmly.

"You're more than welcome, little one," I told him. He smiled and walked back to his mom. She sent me a grateful smile, then lead her pups home. I watched them go and smiled softly, sitting down to watch. The young always brought me great joy. After a few moments, I felt the presense of another nearby. I looked to my side, only to see the team of dogs from earlier. They were silent, but watching. After a few more minutes, one finally sat down next to me, the one that looked like Jenna.

"So, you're to run with us tomorrow," he commented. I said nothing. There was nothing to say to that.

"Is your true name Serena?" asked a female. That one had reason for an answer.

"No," I answered. "But it is now. My name no longer holds true for me, not anymore."

"So you choose to continue under a name that is not your own?" clarfied the female. I merely nodded. After a few more minutes of silence I let my annoyance show.

"Unless you have something more constructive to say, I would prefer to spend the rest of my day alone," I said. "I have much on my mind and no, I do not wish to share. I do not wish to seem rude, but, for the moment, I'm better off alone."

I gave them a few minutes to speak up, then rose and walked away. None of them followed. I was unsurprised. After all, I hadn't been the most friendly person right then. I continued through the streets, just watching everything, then paused in front of what smelled like the musher's home. Lightly, I scratched on the door. After a few moments, he opened it and, with a smile, let me in.

"Welcome, Serena," he greeted. I was unsurprised to see Rosie's dad there. I was certain he and the musher were discussing my addition to the team.

"Are you certain you want to join this team, Serena?" asked Rosie's father. I nodded. "Then you also understand that the musher cannot be held accountable for anything that happens to you on your runs?"

Again, I nodded. He sighed, relenting.

"Very well," he caved. "She's yours in the mornings, but back to us at night."

He and the musher shook hands, then I followed him out. I followed him all the way home, just as Rosie stepped out and called Balto and Jenna home. She was about to call me, too, but saw me next to her dad and opted not to. I smiled softly and simply walked into the home, sitting down in my usual spot in the kitchen for supper. I simply relaxed. I would need all my strength and patience for the day tomorrow, unless other plans were laid.

"Serena?" Balto said, walking over and sitting down next to me, Jenna on his other side. "How are you?"

"Well," I answered simply. "What's truly on your mind?"

He seemed surprised.

"Not to seem rude, but I don't like to beat around the bush," I told him. "Say what you came over to say and be done with it."

"There's a gathering tonight at the big shed," Jenna answered. "You should come. Several dogs would like to get to know you better."

I rolled that over in my mind.

"We'll see what this night brings, but I make no promises one way or the other," I answered. Both nodded, still getting used to my point-blank personality. I was only like this when I didn't know you. Eventually, I would loosen up enough to talk to them freely, but, for now, the less I said, the better.

Supper passed quickly and I soon found myself back in the night air. Balto and Jenna had left quite some time earlier to go to the shed. Slowly, I made my way over as well. As I approached, a large part of me warned that discretion would be my greatest ally. I needed to not be seen nor heard until I wanted to be. So... I climbed silently to the roof and headed towards an open window, only to pause. The four companions to Balto from earlier today were crowding the window. Silently, I snuck up behind them and sat down, making sure they were unaware of my presense.

"-and then she merely brushed us off like we were some annoying insects!" raged the female from earlier.

"She was so rude!" agreed another of them, a brown male.

"Did you ever consider the fact that she mentioned she had a lot on her mind?" asked the husky that looked like Jenna, the one that had been in the group. "Perhaps not all of it was good things and it put her in a foul mood."

"Kodi's right," Balto spoke up. "We can't judge on only knowing a person for one day."

"She's a wolf!" objected another. "She'll never fit in!"

"Did you forget that I, too, am part wolf?" Balto pointed out. The dog refused to look at him.

"Besides, the humans like her well enough," Jenna put in.

"But she killed a grizzly _on her own_," said another. "She's too dangerous to belong here!"

"She did it to save my pups, or did you forget that?" snarled the mother from earlier. Unable to hold my silence any longer, I let my anger slip into my voice as I raised it loud enough for them all to hear.

"Nice to know a person can feel both safe and welcome in a new place among beings that are supposed to be good-natured," I commented coldly. Every head whipped around and up to look at me as my icy gaze swept over them. Without hesitation, I leapt down into the middle of their circle.

"If you have a problem with me, now's the time to bring it to the front," I snarled. "But don't be surprised if you end up eating your words before you're through. I'm just in the mood!"

I was unsurprised that no one spoke up, most of them backing away from the enraged wolf in their midst.

"Yes, I am a wolf," I continued to rant. "Yes, I'm rude and bitchy. Do any of you consider the ever so simple concept that maybe, just maybe, there's a reason?"

I whirled on the female and male that had dared called me rude without cause.

"No," I snarled, bearing down on them. They both hastily backed away. "You assume unthruths and are content to live with it."

I looked at the one that had mentioned the grizzly.

"Yes, I killed," I snarled at him. He backed up, too. "The creature left me no choice. Besides, it would have died soon anyway. He had rabies, did you ever think of that?"

Surprised expressions flooded the room, the mother's eyes going the widest.

"Or would you prefer I'd simply stood aside, frozen to the spot, yelling my head off like the rest of you while it tore apart the fallen pup, hm?" I asked coldly. "Ungrateful mounds of fur, be the ones among you so quick to condemn. Next time, I'll be sure to simply act like the rest of you and stand aside while an innocent life is stolen, shall I?"

I then turned a much kinder gaze to Balto, Jenna, the male who'd stood up for me, and the mother.

"The four of you appear to be the only level-headed dogs in this entire town," I commented. "Take that as one of the highest compliments you will ever get from me, for they are few and far between. While others swoop in with falseties and only see what they wish, you search for truth and live the simple motto; innocent until proven guilty. For that, I am grateful."

I trained my eye on the one that looked like Jenna.

"I never got your name, but I'm guessing you're Kodi," I stated. He nodded. "You will lead tomorrow. I will follow, just like all the rest of your team. Whether they can work with _me_ remains to be seen. If it becomes a problem, I won't hesitate and will step down from mail duty. I only joined on behalf of your musher and the fact that he was short a dog in order to put you as lead. If confrontation is the only future we can accomplish as a team, then we are no team and you will have to find another dog."

I let my eyes sweep the room once more, taking in all the different expressions around me, some friendly, some ashamed, some enraged, and some frightened. I then turned and left. I knew well I'd destroyed much hope for friends that night, but a large part of me no longer cared in that moment. If they were going to judge me, there were going to be consequences.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BALTO NOR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

THE NEXT DAY

As promised, Mr. Simpson was there bright and early to get me. I walked down to the team at his side. Without hesitation, he slipped me into the harness just behind Kodi. I said nothing to anyone, not really feeling like talking this morning. My outburst last night hadn't been enough to quench my anger. I was still furious with their assumptions. I had a feeling that our teamwork wasn't going to be the best today.

The postmaster loaded us up and we were off. Ignoring everyone else, I just focused on Kodi. When he sped up, so did I. When he slowed down, so did I. When he turned left or right, so did I. My only focus was to get where we were going, then get back home. After that, I'd leave behind this harness and go back to being alone. That, I felt, was how it was going to be for a very long time.

The mail run ended swiftly enough and I found myself shrugging off the harness, back at the postmaster's office. I went to walk away, but felt a hand on my head. I looked back at Mr. Simpson.

"You did well today," he told me. "That's the first time the mail run's been on time since I had Balto as lead dog when we raced the bush plane."

I nodded, then, again, turned to walk away.

"Serena," he continued. I turned around and sat down, waiting for him to completely finish this time. The rest of the team was watching me and him very, very carefully. "You seem troubled. Can you give me a clue as to what is wrong?"

With a frown, I merely pointed at his team, then turned and left. I heard him mutter something about 'why can't we all get along' but just shook my head and ignored it. I simply walked to the edge of the forest again. This time, Balto came over, along with the two geese and polar bears.

"Kodi said the mail run was actually on schedule," he commented. I nodded.

"That's what the musher said," I answered. Ever since last night, I felt a great deal more comfortable around him than I had before. "Balto, you must be the only dog I've ever seen with such strange companions."

"Oh, this is Boris and Stella," he said, gesturing to the geese, both of whom gave me friendly smiles and waved. "These two are Muk and Luk."

The two bears smiled warmly.

"Boris is the closest thing to a father that I've ever had," he continued. "The others are my closest friends."

I nodded, a warm, welcoming smile on my face.

"A friend of Balto is a friend of mine," I stated. All of them smiled.

"You don't get along with many people, do you?" Balto asked finally. I shrugged.

"People will think and believe anything they want," I answered. "Even if the truth is laid bare before them, they won't see anything they don't wish to see. I'm satisfied just being left alone to do as I please."

"Don't you have a family?" Boris asked. I sighed.

"Not much of one," I answered ruefully. "My mother and I have an ongoing war, one that will only end when one or both of us is dead. My brother only cares for himself and only seeks personal gain in all that he does. My sister is my mother's precious little baby so she has very little to do with me. My father is the only one that will even care that I'm gone. No other will."

I shook my head.

"I'm used to being alone," I finished. "Life's much simpler that way."

None of them seemed to know what to say to that. It was silent for a long, long time. Then I spotted the mail team as they came out into the open to play and run around. I was content to watch them for the longest time. Then, the mother came walking up to me, all the pups in tow.

"I never got to introduce myself," she said. "I'm Shiva."

I smiled, lightly nuzzling the pups for a moment.

"Would you mind watching them while my humans and I run to the next town?" she asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Have fun," I told her. She smiled, said her farewells, then ran back to her humans. The pups were soon wrestling on the ground, making tons of noise. I just smiled, amused. After a few moments, I turned to Balto and company.

"If you'll excuse me," I said, then got up and walked away, the pups staying very close by. I walked through town with them, ignoring the looks I was getting from humans and dogs alike. They were of little concern to me. The pups eventually began to tire and I led them to the shed where the dogs met at last night. I laid down in front of the boiler and they all cuddled around me. After making sure they were all comfortable and asleep, I laid my own head down... and joined them far from the waking world.

I'd been watching her for roughly two months now, taking notes. She was wonderful with Shiva's pups, a natural mother. She was generous with Balto and his companions... Perhaps it was time to reveal ourselves to her. I highly doubted that she even knew we had changed, too. I looked at my companion. Both of us were stark white, just like... Serena's her name now, wasn't it? Made me wonder what our new identities would be... With merely a look, she nodded back at me. It was almost time to make ourselves known.

* * *

I woke much later in the afternoon, feeling the pups stirring nearby. Slowly, they all woke as well. I smiled fondly, nuzzling each one. Then I heard a quiet chuckle. I looked up and saw Shiva looking at me. She smiled warmly.

"I may put you in charge more often," she commented. "This is the most behaved I've ever seen them."

I smiled warmly back at her.

"I'll gladly babysit more often," I answered, rising to my feet.

A loud scream suddenly split the air. After exchanging looks with Shiva, I bolted outside. The sight that met my eyes left me momentarily frozen on the porch. All of the dogs had their hackles raised, teeth bared as they stood on the edge of town, facing outward. Sitting calmly a few feet away, were two white wolves like me. As soon as I stepped out into the open, one of them smiled.

"Hello Serena," came an impossibly familliar voice. "Miss us?"

"Lilliana!" I cried, running forward, past the dogs, out to embrace my friends. She laughed and hugged me back.

"Love the new name," the other said with a smirk.

"Demona," I said warmly, hugging her, too. The dogs, I sensed, had calmed a little, but not much.

"Friends of yours, Serena?" Mr. Simpson asked. I looked back and nodded. "Well, bring 'em over. Let the vet take a good look at them for now."

I nodded again, then walked with my two best friends to the clinic. Several children didn't hesitate and petted them as they walked by. My friends soaked up the attention. Dr. Antos got them in, checked out, and out in an hour. My friends were amused. I laid down on the porch outside, each of them on either side of me, facing the street.

"How?" I asked. They smirked.

"Same way as you," Lily answered. "We've been hiding out, watching you. We wanted to make sure it was safe before we entered town."

I nodded, accepting that answer. These two never lied to me unless it was completely necessary. Even then, the two were horrible liars. You could always see right through each one. I looked up as I saw Rosie drawing near. She pet each of us, then pulled out three beautiful, hand-crafted collars. There was a spot on each of them for a nameplate. I smiled warmly at her. Mine all ready had my nameplate. She put it on me, then stepped back to look at it closely. She seemed pleased with her work. She then looked at my companions.

"Do you two all ready have names?" she asked. They both nodded. "Could you nod when I get to each letter in order of it?"

Again, they nodded. She got out a pen and paper and got ready to write. She looked at the companion to my right.

"A... B... C... D... E... F... G... H... I... J... K... L-"

My companion immediately nodded. Rosie wrote the letter "L" down, then started again. It took about fifteen minutes to get both of my companion's names down. Rosie smiled and looked up at the vet. He smiled and handed her the nameplates. He'd made them as she spelled out their names. She eagerly put them on the collars, then put them around my companions' necks as well. Mine was made of a black-lace material, sewn with numerous beads and a few fake-emeralds to bring out my eyes. Demona's was made like a choker necklace for a human, black with silver chains on top of the fabric. Hanging from the middle of it, was a skull and crossbones. She was highly amused by it. Lily's was a dark, dark blue, like her eyes. It was made from sturdy fabric. All of them had elastic bands so there was no buckle to drive into our skin all the time. We each gave her thank-you licks, then made our way down the street after she walked away. Side-by-side, we explored the town I'd become quite familliar with. None of us said a word, just observed. Several times, the other dogs moved out of our way. It was both intiguing and annoying.

"You'd begin to think they were afraid of us," Demona commented dryly.

"In their defense, Serena _did_ take on a grizzly alone and win," Lily pointed out. I just smirked.

"Is that all?" I asked, mocking innocence ringing in my voice. The three of us burst out laughing. I smiled the first true smile since I'd been here. Now I had reason to not be so alone. My friends were here now.

"Serena!" called Mr. Simpson. He stood next to another sled. This time, there were only three harnesses. Demona and Lily exchanged looks with me.

"Wanna give it a try?" he asked, hope in his voice. With a shrug, we all three nodded and let him put the harnesses on us. I was lead dog this time. "This time, to White Mountain and back. We're doing a second mail run."

The three of us nodded.

"Mush!" he called. Time flew. This morning's run seemed so slow in comparison to how fast we were going now. My companions and I had always loved to run, even before we came to Nome. We often sprinted just for fun, raced to see who the fastest was... Lily was undeniably the fastest, but she tired quickly at a constant speed. Demona was the strongest. I had the best endurance. Together, we were an unspeakable team, bringing together three important elements that make a winning team. We were back in Nome in record time. The Postmaster seemed surprised to see us, considering we weren't even out of breath. We weren't even sweating. We hadn't bothered running full speed. We didn't need to. We all sat down as Mr. Simpson removed the harnesses.

"These three may just become our new mail runners," the postmaster commented. We exchanged amused looks. "I've never seen mail delivered so fast."

"We can make this team our night runners and my team the morning runners," Mr. Simpson said. "I'll just need to find a replacement for Serena on the morning haulers."

The postmaster nodded and we each grabbed a part of the harness, pulling the sled and Mr. Simpson all the way home. We dropped it off, then left to go off on our own. Soon, we came face to face with the morning mail team, none of them wearing a friendly expression.

"Trying to take our jobs?" a male snarled.

"Afraid because you know we can?" Demona egged on. I gave her a warning look.

"We don't want any trouble," I told them. "Mr. Simpson asked us to run with him another load of mail. We simply did as asked. No one's losing any job around here. If it comes to that, we won't take them. You've had them longer."

None of them believed me, not even Kodi. I exchanged exasperated looks with Lily, then we three merely shouldered our way through their line. We were, after all, bigger than almost all of them. Ralph was the only one that even came close to our size. Once past them, we simply walked the rest of the town, going home to Rosie's. Once there, we all laid down in front of the fire, watching the mother cook. She didn't think twice as she set a plate in front of each of us. We ate quietly, nodding at Jenna and Balto as they entered and soon finished eating. I then laid down and relaxed. I knew that expression on Balto's face well.

"If you have something to say, say it," Demona told him. He frowned.

"Do you three just aim to be overall unfriendly?" he asked. We shrugged.

"Friendliness is a matter of perception," Lily answered.

"A perception I think every dog in this town fails to see because it is not their own," I added. His and Jenna's frowns deepened.

"You know, everyone thought you were beautiful when you first stepped out of Rosie's after recovering from your injuries," Jenna revealed. "Several of the dogs hoped to get to know you. Now, the number of dogs willing to allow you to continue to stay here has dwindled dramatically. Very few remain that defend you."

I just shook my head.

"I have done nothing to earn their disdain," I stated, completely baffled. I treated them no different than I treated my friends...

"You're taking the mail run from the mail team," Jenna started. "Whether you realize it or not."

I just laid there and listened.

"When people try to speak to you, you are unfriendly," Balto added.

"You make no attempt to speak to others," Jenna continued.

"And you've proven that you have a terrible temper," Balto finished. I merely looked at them.

"That's it?" I asked. They looked taken back.

"Sweetheart, that's how she is to everyone," Demona said.

"Unless you approach her first, she's not going to talk to you," Lily added.

"She's kinda shy like that," added Demona.

"She's only fierce when she needs to be," Lily continued.

"She may have a temper, but it's only brought out by unfairness," Demona continued.

"As for the mail run, forgive us for wanting to use our speed and stamina to aid this town, even if it's merely the nightly mail run," I finished. "If we cannot use our basic abilities, what's the point in having them?"

"And the unfriendliness and rudeness?" pressed Jenna. I sighed heavily.

"You all have to see it from a point of view that is not your own," I answered. "I'm in a strange place with strange new people. I _don't_ feel at home here and if I don't feel comfortable around you, I won't be kind to you."

I looked away from them.

"In my life, I've learned not to trust anyone," I revealed finally. "The last place I tried to call home is how I came to be in the condition I arrived in... Balto, the last town attacked me, all of the dogs and people combined. I can't count how many bullets I took nor how many bones were broken by teeth... Forgive me if I seem rude, I don't mean to be, but... I can never let my guard down like that again. This time, I may not live to tell the tale."

No one said anything to that, Balto and Jenna being too shocked to speak. My companions remembered that particular moment. I finally got up and placed my front feet on the window sill... then froze. Almost every dog in Nome was outside the window. All of them had been listening. All of them wore horrified gazes. I got back down and shook my head.

"I've learned it's safer to simply be alone," I stated, laying down again.

"It may be safer, but it isn't better," Jenna finally answered. "Serena, no one in this town is like that."

I sighed heavily.

"I don't know that," I answered calmly. "Not to seem rude, but I tire of this conversation. We have a long day tomorrow. We need our rest."

With that, I closed my eyes and blocked everything out. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING RELATED TO BALTO.

THE NEXT MORNING

I yawned into waking as I smelt bacon cooking. Rosie's mom was making breakfast. My companions woke shortly after I did, unable to deny the hunger the smell of food aroused in them. We all nodded in greeting to Balto and Jenna as they entered the room. We were comfortable, waiting for breakfast.

"Sleep well?" asked Jenna, breaking the silence. We nodded.

"Even though it wasn't really your choice, we _are_ grateful that you welcome us so openly into your home," Demona told her. It brought a smile to my face. Demona rarely went out of her way to be friendly.

"Morning, dear," Rosie's mom greeted her husband. He sat down hard with a heavy sigh.

"We're almost out of food again," he said. "We have too many pets."

I frowned and exchanged looks with Demona and Lily. We knew what this meant. If we were going to continue to live here, we had to prove our worth. After giving a soft whine to Rosie's mom and stealing a single piece of bacon each, we all walked out.

"How much do you think we'll need?" asked Lily. I shrugged.

"As much as we can kill," I answered and we all took off for the forest.

THREE HOURS LATER

I pulled my final kill to the clearing. The other two were waiting. We'd made quite a pile...

"I'll go get the man," I told them.

"We'll guard," Lily said simply. I nodded and turned, running back to town. I searched until I saw Rosie's dad and then lightly tugged on his coat. He turned around and went to pet me, but I backed just out of reach. He tried again, stepping closer, and I backed away again. He went to turn back to his conversation so I tugged on his coat again.

"What is it, girl?" he asked. "Do you want me to follow you?"

Immediately, I nodded. Exchanging looks with Mr. Simpson, both men followed me back to the clearing. Immediately, they both gasped in surprise. I stepped aside and sat down, waiting for them to say something.

"Look at all that food!" Mr. Simpson said in shock. Several dogs had followed us as well, as had the butcher.

"Well, I'll be damned," muttered Rosie's dad. Together, my comrades and I had killed and piled here 14 Caribou, 9 Moose, numerous birds, tons of fish, and several rabbits. I gave a soft whine, needing to know we'd done good. In response, all three of us got a lot of attention from the men present. The Butcher ran back to town for help in transporting it all.

"Good dogs," Rosie's dad told us. We smiled in victory, then helped the men haul the carcasses back to Nome. After dropping them all off at the butcher's for processing, we went back outside and laid down on the porch of the post office.

"That was fun," Demona commented.

"The rabbits were fun," Lily agreed. I giggled. I'd seen her run around after those. While Demona and I had hunted the bigger, slower game, Lily had chosen the faster, smaller prey. Over all, I think we'd done well.

"We may have to do this at least thrice a month," I told them. They both nodded.

"Anything to continue to guarantee a home," Lily stated. The Mail team finally pulled up, late as usual. I said nothing, merely noted how all of them were sweating something fierce. I noted the new dog in my place, a youngster, just freshly grown into his paws.

"I see Micah fits right in," the postmaster told Mr. Simpson. The musher nodded, removing the team from the harness.

"He's an okay substitute, but he needs a lot more training," he answered. He then saw us and smiled.

"You missed it," the postmaster continued. "These three went and hunted down enough game this morning to feed Nome for a month."

Surprised expressions assaulted the group. Demona, Lily, and I all hung our heads in embarrassment.

"Make it sound like we saved the town, why don't you?" Demona muttered, her embarrassment obvious in her voice.

"Really?" Mr. Simpson asked. "These three are rapidly proving themselves to be indisposable. First with their protectiveness of the young, second with their speed, and now with their hunting skills."

We smiled at one another.

"These three may just be the best thing to happen to this town since Balto," the postmaster agreed. Unable to take much more of this flattery, the three of us rose and began to walk off. No dog was pleased with us after the postmaster had compared us to Balto, especially not the mail team. Even though I had my companions with me, I felt more alone than ever. Demona nor Lily missed the change in my demeanor.

"Talk to me," Lily said as we sat down in the old shed where the dog meetings were held. A few sleeping dogs were there so we kept our voices down. I sighed heavily.

"It just seems like the closer we get to the humans, the further we get from the dogs," I answered, my tone heavy-laden with grief. "Can't win for losing."

Both of my friends hung their heads.

"Serena, you can't live your life trying to please everyone," Demona said kindly. "Sweetheart, the only reason we went and got so much food is because Rosie's dad mentioned that he had too many pets and that they were nearly out of food."

"We hunted because we had to," Lily added. "As for being compared to Balto, well, that's a very high compliment... and outsiders are the ones receiving it. You have to take a moment to see it from their point of view. We move in on thier turf and-"

"All of a sudden their everyone's second choice," Demona finished. I just shook my head.

"Maybe coming here was a bad idea," I thought aloud. "We may have found a place to live and endless food to eat, but at what cost? All we've managed to do is hurt everyone... Why did we think we could ever be any good?... We never were and, it seems, never will be..."

My head was on my paws as I let the tears leak from my eyes. I closed them in my pain. My companions didn't know what to say to that, knowing it to be the truth. No one good thing had come of us being here. Slowly, they curled up next to me on both sides, laying thier heads across my neck and shoulders. I gave up completely in that moment and just closed my eyes, praying I'd never wake up.

THE NEXT MORNING

"Serena!" came a loud, sobbed cry. Every dog jerked awake at the sound of Rosie's mournful voice. "Serena, where are you?"

A few of them exchanged looks.

"Serena!" Rosie sobbed. "Please come back!"

Kodi and his team walked out of the shed to see what was wrong. In Rosie's hand was Serena's collar. Serena's two companions were walking with Rosie, each of them deeply distressed.

"Where is she?" Kodi asked them. Both of them looked like they'd been crying... a lot...

"We don't know," Lily answered. "She was there last night."

"This morning, all we could find was her collar!" Demona finished, her voice filled with grief. Suddenly, Rosie hit her knees. Demona leaned over to make sure she was okay, only to be wrapped in a tight hug. Rosie continued to weep on her while Demona hugged her back, needing the comfort just as much as the child did.

"Serena..." Rosie cried.

"Rosie!" he dad said, running up with her coat. "You shouldn't be outside, dressed like that! You'll catch a cold!"

Rosie merely turned and cried on her dad.

"Sweetheart, we'll find her," he tried to assure her. "It'll be okay..."

He continued to whisper things to her as he carried her back to the house.

* * *

My heart wrenched every time I remembered her cries. A large part of me screamed to return, but I couldn't turn back now. No one wanted me there, none except her. My friends, I was certain, would take good care of her...

So, I pushed on, running further and further away, my heart tearing more and more with every step.

"Serena?" I heard someone say. I paused and turned to see who had spoken, only to see the face of Stella.

"What do you want, Stella?" I asked, not unkindly. I was simply... defeated.

"Serena, everyone's looking for you!" she scolded lightly. "Do you have any idea how much that little girl misses you?"

"Everyone's looking for me, huh?" I asked. "How long did it take for them to actually begin to care, Stella?"

She looked taken back. I didn't blame her. My voice had gone ice cold.

"I've been running for over three days now," I continued coldly. "If they really cared, they'd have started looking for me from the get-go. Instead, they wait."

"Serena, Rosie's very sick," Stella said finally, her tone pleading with me to listen. I froze, my heart feeling like someone had clenched it with an icy hand. "She went looking for you and was attacked by a grizzly. Demona and Lily are barely alive. The bear did a number on all of them."

My legs gave out underneath me.

"Serena... Rosie needs you."

A part of me summoned strength I didn't even know I had as I got up and turned to Stella.

"Guide me home," I told her. She nodded, a smile on her face.

FOUR DAYS LATER

Slowly, I made my way through the darkened town. Not a single soul was out, not even a dog. My eyes scanned everything, finally coming to rest on Rosie's house. Stella nodded at me from on the roof, telling me Rosie was still inside. Soundlessly, I slipped in the back door, shutting it silently behind me, then made my way to her bedroom. The sight that met my gaze made my heart heavy with guilt and regret.

_I shouldn't be here... I did this..._

My two friends were torn all to hell and Rosie... Never before had I longed to just be dead. That child had been hurt because of me...

Silently, I walked over and gently laid my paws on the side of her bed. After a few moments of hesitation, I reached over and lightly licked her face. Rosie's bruised eyes slowly opened, then lit up like christmas came early.

"Serena?" she asked, her voice telling me she was heavily drugged. I nuzzled her hand softly and nodded. Her smile grew as she wrapped her arms weakly around me. "Serena... I've missed you."

I nodded, hugging her back.

"Mom!" Rosie called. "Dad! Serena's back!"

Both parents came at a dead run and I found myself in even more hugs. Mr. Simpson was there, the postmaster was there, the butcher was there, several kids were there-all of them glad to see I had returned. I saw the town doctor and the town vet and gave a low whine. Both gave me soft smiles.

"They'll all be just fine," the doctor told me. "Your companions were fixed up in less than a few hours. Dr. Antos is the best at what he does. They just need time to heal."

I nodded, then looked at Rosie.

"She just has a really bad cold," he assured me. "She'll be fine in a couple days now that you're back."

"I need to check you over real quick before you go anywhere," Dr. Antos said. I nodded and stepped over to him, letting him check everything. He smiled warmly. "Welcome home, Serena."

I nodded and then got on the bed with Rosie, curling up next to her to comfort her. I felt her place my collar around my neck again and licked her hand in gratitude.

"We'll be better soon," she whispered against my fur as she fell asleep once more.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH BALTO.

THE NEXT MORNING

I woke slowly to the smell of breakfast. I missed this. Hunting was great, but cooked food was better. My companions caught their first sight of me in the kitchen, Balto and Jenna with them. All of them were shocked to see me. Rosie's mom was merrily humming away, setting food in front of all of us.

"Serena..." my friends said, then bolted over and tackled me to the floor, both of them waling on me like it was going out of style.

"Stop!" Rosie's mom commanded. They looked up at her with identical looks of stay out of this. "Not in the houe."

They sighed and looked at me.

"If you EVER pull a stunt like that again, I'll be the first to kill you," Demona threatened.

"Then I'll bring you back and kill you again!" Lily added. Both of them were obviously furious with me. In response, I threw them off and spun on them, bareing my teeth.

"You were supposed to be PROTECTING HER!" I snarled. Both of them quickly backed off. They knew my temper well.

"It's not thier fault," Jenna tried to defend them. A low snarl at her shut her up.

"She just wanted to find you and I-I-I thought you wouldn't be that far away," Lily tried to defend herself.

"We thought you'd just be up in the-" I cut Demona off.

"FOREST!" I all but screamed. Both seemed to shrink. "You let a CHILD enter the FOREST when you both KNOW you can't protect her there?"

Both continued to back away from me as I advanced.

"Where were WE almost killed?" I snarled.

"The forest," Lily answered immediately, fear in every word.

"Where were our very BEINGS destroyed?"

"The forest," Demona answered.

"What have I told you and have you learned about THAT?"

Neither of them said anything, just continued to shrink away from me. With a low huff of annoyance I turned around and went back to my food. The humans had just watched the whole thing in silence.

"Consider yourselves fortunate that you're all ready injured," I commented, my voice completely calm, almost silky. I finished my food, then left the house. I headed straight for the mail team whom were getting ready to run. I looked at the dog that had taken my place.

"Mind if I take back my spot just for this morning?" I asked, immediately catching everyone's attention. "I need to blow off some steam."

"Serena!" the entire group said, each of them torn between wanting to welcome me back and not wanting to antagonize my fury any further. The dog smiled and nodded.

"Just... don't run off again," he told me. I nodded with a small smile, then lost it as I caught sight of Demona and Lily. A low snarl built in my throat, my ears going flat against my head. Mr. Simpson read it correctly and rapidly put me in the harness, then sped us away before my friends were in attacking range. It took a few minutes of running and cooling down to realize that I was in Kodi's harness, lead dog, and Kodi was in mine... and I was running a great deal faster than the others were used to. They were having trouble keeping up. So, I slowed my pace a great deal, much to their silent relief and our musher's knowing smile.

"Feel better, Serena?" he asked. I nodded but continued to push forward. We reached White Mountain in record time. I stopped and let the other dogs rest for a moment while they exchanged the mail. Mr. Simpson then came up and sat down next to my head.

"Take a few minutes," he told me. "My team isn't used to that speed."

I nodded and laid down.

"You're upset with your companions," he stated. I nodded. "For not protecting Rosie and allowing her into the forest when they know it's dangerous?"

Again, I nodded. He sighed.

"I've noticed that, without you to guide them, they are more like young pups," he revealed to me. I looked at him. "Both seemed completely lost when you disappeared. They didn't play, didn't run, wouldn't eat... They were a mess."

I laid my head on my paws. He lightly petted my back.

"I hope you never leave us again, little one," he said. I just sighed, then licked his fingers, making him smile. We sat there for a few more minutes, then got up and began to run back to Nome. The others had yet to say a word to me, but I didn't expect them to. Once I was out of the harness, I turned to the rest of the team, an apologetic look on my face.

"Sorry about the trip there," I apologized. "Running's just one way for me to blow off steam... I should have taken into consideration the rest of the team."

With that, I turned around and began to walk away.

"Serena, wait," Kodi said, running up next to me. I looked at him, waiting. "It's okay. That's the best time we've ever had on mail run."

I smiled at his obvious attempt to make me feel a little better. Against my better judgement, I took a huge chance right now.

"Kodi, do you know any good places to relax here?" I asked. "Away from everyone else?"

Immediately, he nodded and guided me to a place under the doctor's office. It was dirty as all hell, but it worked.

"What's down here?" I asked softly.

"Something very beautiful," he answered. I got sludge of some sort on my nose and looked at him as he easily took it off with his paw.

"Not likely," I muttered. He just smiled.

"Just wait and watch," he said, gesturing for me to sit down. I obeyed and watched as he gathered broken glass bottles together in front of him, blocking the light with his body. I looked at him, my gaze curious. He smiled, then stepped out of the way. The aurora shown bright on the northern wall, a sight that stole my breath away.

"Oh Kodi..." I whispered. "You were right. It _is_ beautiful..."

He smiled secretly, almost as if he was answering me in his mind, though not willing to share. I smiled at him and sat down right next to him, close enough for our pelts to touch. I placed my snout under his chin and just watched the lights, relaxing completely. It took him a few seconds, but he nuzzled me back.

"Serena?" came Rosie's half-sick voice. I pulled away and quickly made for the entrance, then exited through the boiler room. Rosie was halfway down the street, wrapped up from head to toe in winter gear. I walked up to her with a smile and she smiled back at me.

"Serena, it's time to come home," she said, her voice hoarse from coughing. I let her lean on me as we went back to the house. Once inside, I sat in front of the fire, then looked at my filthy fur. I let out a whine of dismay, catching the parents' attention. Without a second thought, I reached up and grabbed the wash rag on the sink and began to clean the spots where I'd tracked filth in, my feet, too.

"Oh, Serena, just give me a moment," the mom said, then led me back to the shower. After testing the water, she had me get in the tub and she began to spray me down. All the blackish stuff came off. She then scrubbed me down with shampoo and rinsed that out. After that, she went to get a towel, but I stopped her with a low whine. She looked at me, confused. I pointed at the conditioner, then gave another whine. With a smile, she turned back on the water and soaked me up again. Then she used the conditioner. I felt my fur going soft and leaned into it. She then rinsed it all out, then went to get the towel. Before she came back, I closed the curtain as best I could, then shook my fur out until I felt none of it sticking to me. She came back in the middle of me doing this and now looked at me with a smile as she pulled the curtain back and began drying me off, too. Once she was done, we both went back out to the main room, me taking my usual place by the fire.

"How are you doing?" asked Lily. I sighed.

"I'm not sure yet," I answered. "But I guess I can forgive the two of you for acting so foolishly."

Both of them relaxed, grateful.

"Thanks," they chorused. I nodded, then laid my head down. I was tired after a draining day like this.

* * *

Slowly, I woke the next morning to the scent of french toast, sausage, and hash browns. I stretched with a yawn, then relaxed once more. My two companions were near me, also slowly waking to this day.

"What are you gonna do now?" asked Lily. I shrugged.

"Probably something stupid," I answered.

"Okay," Demona said, a grin forming on her face. "You've all ready done that."

"Then something crazy," I continued. We all three grinned.

"That's more like it," Lily teased. We all laughed. Then Balto and Jenna appeared in the house, looking over at us.

"Morning," I greeted them warmly. Immediately, they relaxed.

"Morning, Serena," Jenna said warmly. "Welcome home."

I nodded and then Rosie's Mom put down our breakfast. I ate my plateful, then pushed the plate over to the counter near the sink. After all, my mouth couldn't lift it up, but I was as close as I could get. With a nod to everyone else, I then took my leave, walking out into the open air.

"Serena, did you sleep well?" asked Kodi, coming over to step up next to me. I nodded.

"About last night, thank you," I told him. "You were very generous with your time and I'm grateful."

He nodded with a smile.

"The mail team's getting ready to leave so..."

"You'd best get going," I finished with a small smile. He turned to leave, but I tugged lightly on his collar. He paused and looked back at me. I leaned over and gave him a small, soft kiss on the cheek, then turned and walked away. I didn't even take time to see his reaction as I made my way towards the outskirts of town, over towards where Muk and Luk were tormenting Boris and Stella.

"Boys!" Stella was saying. "Enough all ready!"

They were splashing in the puddles just to get the two geese wet. It was amusing.

"So," I said simply, sitting down at the edge. "This is what you do for fun."

All of them jumped at the sound of my voice, only relaxing when they realized who I was.

"Hey, Serena!" Muk said as he and his brother came over to sit next to me. "Wanna play a game with us?"

"As long as it doesn't involve tormenting Boris and Stella, sure," I answered them. Both nodded immediately, telling me they'd play by my rules. Both geese looked grateful and I gave them the tiniest nod I could manage before leading the two bears away.

"Now, here's the rules," Muk said. "We hide... and you try to find us."

I struggled to choke back my laughter, to keep my face vacant of expression.

"Very well," I answered. "Go, then. I'll stay here and close my eyes. I'll count to thirty and then I'll come find you."

"Great!" Muk said. I sighed and laid down, resting my head on my paws as I closed my eyes.

This was going to be rediculously easy.

* * *

I wasn't sure how long we played before the mail team came out to play. Kodi actually seemed a bit nervous to approach me, something I found highly amusing.

"You guys are a whole thirteen minutes late," I teased. In response, I got lightly pushed over by Kirby.

"Just because we don't race to beat the retreat doesn't mean we're late," he answered cockily. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind next time Mel has a meltdown," I stated calmly, then jumped on the two not-so-hidden polar bears. They screamed in fright and I laughed, dancing out of their reach.

"You guys really need to work on blending in," I told them. "Game's over for now. We can play again another time."

They both nodded and shot me big smiles before they walked away, probably to get into even more trouble than before.

"I can't believe you actually play with them," Dusty said. I shrugged.

"Figured Boris and Stella could use some alone time, away from those two annoying bears," I answered simply, then turned and began to leave.

"Serena, wait," Kodi said, stepping up next to me. "Why don't you... play with us?"

I quirked a brow at him. I was enjoying how he squirmed under my gaze, knowing his friends were the only reason he had the nerve to ask me this. He had been far too nervous when he came out here and saw me. I had no doubts they'd planned this while on mail run.

"Sure," I said finally, almost laughing at how he relaxed. "What are we playing?"

"Tag," Kirby answered. "Since you're new, you can be It. The only rule is no tag-backs."

I nodded and everyone scattered. I didn't hesitate and went after the slowest dog, tagging him, then running off to avoid getting tagged again. We played this for hours until I was tagged again. This time, I went specifically after a certain red-and-white male. I pounced to tag, but sent us both over a hill, rolling down to the bottom, me on top. We were laughing too hard to get up, not that a part of me really even wanted to.

"Ooo!" teased Lily from the top of the hill.

"Love on the playing field!" added Demona. I blushed and got up, letting Kodi up, too. We went back to the top of the hill, only to get laughter and jeers from the rest of the mail team... minus Dusty. She didn't look too happy with me.

"So... who's It?" asked Kirby. I grinned and gave a soft, teasing nip to Kodi's neck, then raced away. He shook his head in mild surprise, then shot off after the rest of us, bound to get this game back on track. We played until the sun began to set, then I sighed. Lily and Demona gave me knowing looks, but I ignored them for the most part. We all said our goodnights and split up, the three of us heading back to Rosie's.

"Serena, wait," Kodi called, coming to walk beside me, behind the other two. They both snickered and I shot them mild dirty looks before focusing on Kodi. "Why don't you spend the night at... at my place?"

"Moving a little fast, aren't you?" Lily asked, teasing. He flushed, but didn't retract his offer.

"Sounds like this boy has a thing for you, Serena," teased Demona. Kodi's blush deepened.

"Oh, go home," I told them, amused and annoyed with them at the same time. They laughed and did as told. "I'd love to, Kodi, if the offer's still good."

He nodded, glad to have my undivided attention now.

"Um..." he hesitated, but lead me to his house. "About... about earlier, before the mail run..."

"Mmhm?" I prompted, showing him that I was a great deal more relaxed than he was.

"Did that kiss..."

"Did that kiss mean anything?" I guessed. He nodded. I smiled. "If it didn't, hon, I wouldn't have done it. It was both a thank-you and a hope that we could spend time like that together again."

His nervousness went up another notch.

"Though, why did Dusty not seem pleased with me during tag?" I asked casually. He frowned, losing his nervousness.

"She's been trying to get me to date her for quite some time," he answered. "But I just can't see her like that."

I nodded, understanding.

"And you can see _me_ like that?" I asked. He blushed again, but nodded, getting nervous again. "Why so nervous around me? I don't bite... much."

He only blushed more. Fortunately, he was saved from answering as his musher opened the door, letting us into that warm home. I immediately made myself at home in front of the fire, laying on my side, my head on my paws. The musher seemed surprised to see me, up until Kodi laid down behind me, his head resting on my neck. The musher smiled and picked up the phone.

"Yeah, it's Simpson," he said. "Serena's here for the night. Looks like I might have pups out of Kodi, yet!"

Kodi tensed and blushed. I laughed.

"I agree," he said, then paused to listen. "I know... All right... Sure thing... Bye."

Then he hung up. I was still chuckling at Kodi. He was still very uncomfortable. So... I lifted my head, forcing him to lift his own. I turned to him and lightly began to wash his face. With every stroke of my tongue, he relaxed a little more. After a few moments, I stopped and laid back down.

"No need to be nervous around me, Kodi," I told him softly. "Keep it up and I'll come up with different ways to relax you."

He blushed again, but smiled. He began to nuzzle my neck and I let him, closing my eyes with a smile. I heard the door open again, smelled the rest of the team come into the room, but I paid no heed. The only thing on my mind was the feel of Kodi's nose going through my fur.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Dusty demanded. My relaxed state was gone. I stood with a low snarl, catching the musher's attention. Dusty and I faced eachother, teeth bared and hackles raised, ears flat against our heads. Kodi immediately stepped between us. I stepped down, sitting down patiently. Dusty did not.

"I invited her, Dusty," Kodi answered her. "The musher has no issues with her."

Dusty's fury went up another notch. With a low growl, she launched herself over Kodi towards me. I neatly sidestepped and watched her land bad on on her front leg. There was a sickening crack that rang through the room. Dusty howled in pain, then whimpered as the musher quickly called the vet. Kodi came over and sat down beside me. I placed my head under his, needing reassurance that this wasn't going to come back and haunt me. He nuzzled me back, comforting me as best he could.

The vet came rushing through the door, right over to Dusty. She whimpered and occassionally yelped as he felt over the injured limb. The musher filled him in on what had happened. Personally, I liked how his version sounded.

"She came in with the others and saw Serena here," the musher told him. "Next thing I know, both of them were ready to attack. Kodi stepped between them and Serena backed down. Dusty didn't and jumped, landing on her foot wrong."

"Well, Mr. Simpson, her leg's broken," Dr. Antos said. "I'll have to take her down to the clinic to get it set and on the mend. Help me carry her."

Mr. Simpson nodded and the two men carefully carried Dusty out the door. The rest of the team looked at me. I sighed.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling very guilty. Almost immediately, all of them were telling me not to apologize, telling me it was okay, telling me I'd done nothing wrong. I was grateful, but I still felt bad. So, with a meaningful look at Kodi, I left through the dog-door, over to the vet. I walked on in and sat down on a chair near the table Dusty was on. She only whimpered, but I could see the hate in her eyes.

"This will hurt," I warned her gently. "I want you to hold still as best you can until it's done or the bone won't set right. If it doesn't, you may never run again."

"Why do you care, homewrecker?" she spat. I rolled my eyes.

"Because that team needs you," I answered. "Ralph loves you, but you're too blind to notice. The fact that your musher called the vet so quickly says that he needs and loves you, too. Stop being bitter and childish. There's more to the world than a few broken hearts. Take it from someone who found out the hard way."

Then I got down and left the clinic. From there, I went back to the house and curled up in front of the fire, Kodi soon curling up behind me. I smiled at him, giving him a soft kiss, before I closed my eyes.

"How's Dusty?" asked Ralph, obviously worried. I smiled softly.

"She'll recover," I answered. "She just needs time. She won't be running any time soon, so you'll need a replacement in your mail-run line-up. She'll be out for at least three weeks. But, past that, she'll still be Dusty."

He nodded and relaxed. I relaxed as well and slowly fell into a blissful slumber.


End file.
